Amongst the Rubble (Mitsuki/Open)

[Dillon Kyne]

Rumors of what Public High School #259 had spread throughout the country, and even the world, throughout the past, but now it stood simply as a reminder of the times that've passed. Corporal punishment, illegal high school fighting tournaments, and even rumors of experimentation were all once linked to this one large, dilapidated building. Dillon had experienced a semi-normal school life thanks to his mother, who put him in a well-respected private school that didn't use the corporal punishment system, but he always wondered how things would've changed for him if he had attended such a school.

He already had the whole "not feeling, or caring for pretty much any" thing, so if he had been subjected to the ways of 259 he may have become a much different person. Even with how he abnormal he was, he was able to know the difference between "right and wrong" thanks to his family. Not that he always followed said morals, in fact he rarely did, but at least he knew when others may have found his actions to be less moral. With the violence and plotting connected to 259, he knew he would've been a much nastier person if he'd been involved with any such events in his teenage years.

But he wasn't, and so he became a decent member of society because of it, at least in the eyes of most people that he met. There haven't been too many people that saw beneath the surface with him, unless they were connected to his more underground extracurriculars. He was generally a pretty chill and nice guy in most of his interactions with people, especially since he came back to the states. There wasn't a reason for him to use his "skill set" at the moment, so he lived a pretty normal life.

Walking around the ruins of 259, he was about halfway through a bottle of unlabeled rum that he had stolen from a random house he passed by. He was dressed in one of his usual outfits, and the dust was quickly speckling all over his leather jacket. The inside of the building was fairly rundown and broken apart, making it quite the danger to explore, but Dillon had already been close to death once in his life. He didn't fear the end anymore, and would fully embrace it if it was his time. Not that he searched for death, but he sure as hell didn't run from it.

He'd lean against one of the ashy walls of the first floor hallway, slowly sliding down to the floor and taking a seat on the cold hard ground. He looked up through the cracks in the floors above him, where some of the suns rays were finding there way through. This place literally was falling apart, but it the calming silence and whistling winds that blew through its corridors made for a soothing place to relax. Whether or not he was alone all day, or jumped by some random thugs that wanted his rum, he didn't care at that moment. He'd simply take another swig from his bottle, let out a couple of coughs, and continue to stare blankly up at the cracks above him.
 

[Mitsuki Park]

She was out with Bullet and Drop back on school grounds; she did this frequently, more for sentimental reasons than anything else. She was rarely ever in Barker's territory with her pups but she figured it wouldn't hurt so long as she kept them close by. Neither had trackers on them but they both wore collars to show that they weren't strays. And besides, Barker's men frequented the area during the day but they usually roamed about right outside school grounds rather than in it. Bullet was running around, as usual, while Drop trotted along beside her.

Her feet slowed to a stop when she saw another figure down the hall. A small frown etched on her lips as she whistled for Bullet to come back, which she did though hesitatingly because of the pup's natural curiosity. Mitsuki herself probably looked a bit odd with the gas mask, but she wore her mask outside her home so often that it just naturally became habit. She looked at the male who was drinking alcohol and- to be completely honest- wasn't sure if she felt comfortable because he was a factor she couldn't control. Not without the potential of her own pups getting harmed.

But then again, he didn't look like one of Barker's men...and judging from his choice of beverage, she wondered if he was one of the few unassociated with a faction. He wasn't wearing anything that noted his affiliation (if he had any)...

"...are you a threat?"

Blunt. She wasn't one to trust people easily despite the question, and she was a close observer of words.

[Dillon Kyne]

Dillon half sat, half laid against the dusty wall behind him, chuckling as he reminisced in his mind of a few times - probably about two or three years ago - where he when out drinking and fighting with his older brother. Pierce was always hesitant to do harm to his opponent, fighting passively till a bitter victory. For being the older brother, he got the brunt of the "sibling bullying" from Dillon for being so soft. Even so, the only man the Kings honored more than Pierce was their grandfather, Matthias, and so the light weight of being involved with his imprisonment had started to weight more and more.

Had he not heard the sound of dogs running toward him, Dillon probably would have simply drunk until he passed out. Though he'd polished a good amount of the bottle, he was one of the best alcoholics he knew, and being Irish: That was saying something. He had a good buzz, but nothing that would hamper his already shakeable inhibitions or social skills, and lucky for him the master of the dogs he heard didn't appear to be hostile. At the very least he knew that she wasn't aggressively hostile, since she had whistled for her dogs to come back to her and not run toward him.

 When he finally caught a glimpse of who was commanding the dogs, he had to hold back his laughter. The girl was dressed like the bastard child of Assassin's Creed and Fall Out, but that was almost normal for the world they lived in now. Dillon didn't see much of change in the world since the bombings, aside from in the environment: Everything else was just as predictably chaotic as before. And so he lived pretty much the same. The only reason he would have laughed was because of the liquor, but he still would've have the thought.

The female figure stopped a distance from Dillon, asking him if he was a threat at all. He'd lazily raised his hands into the air, holding his bottle in one hand and half-assed opening the fingers of his other hand. The least he could do was play the part of the drunkard, even if it would be just that: Play. "I swear, Vault Dweller, I ain't a threat to you or your savage pets." Shaking his hand on the word savage, he would laugh a bit before bringing his drinking hand down to drink some more liquor. Letting out another cough when he was finished, he'd slowly lower his arms and turn to smile at the female and her puppies.

"I'm just a random drunk shmuck, drinking himself to an early grave. How bout you? Miss your high school years already?" Not that he was one to talk, but at least he already knew his answer was no. He thrived in Ireland, and his entire time in school was simply him mastering being "normal". "Care to join me in remembering the better times?" Twirling his liquor bottle around as he said it. If she was a threat, at least he'd die with liquor in his belly and a bottle in his hand. Not many better ways to go, in his eyes.

[Mitsuki Park]

Unlike a good majority of those she knew, Mitsuki preferred not to drink- the first and last time she drank was when her brother brought home a celebratory wine when she got into medical school, and it didn't end well. She wasn't a drinker; her threshold for sobriety when it came to alcohol was low, and she didn't like the fact that she had little to no control over herself when under such influence. So when he offered her a drink, she promptly shook her head...and then pulled off the mask, the hood of her sweatshirt falling down with it.

"Hnn... High school was- simple."

She wasn't sure if she missed high school, but there was a reason why she kept coming back; a bulk of it for sentimental reasons, yes- and the only reason why high school was considered "better" times was because it was before Barker had ever hit. The problems that went along inside the walls of 259 seemed so much more minuscule now in contrast to what is frequently called the "apocalypse".

She casually approached, if not a bit more cautiously because she was with her pups. She had to step carefully because Drop kept walking on the inside of one of her legs rather than the outside, like Bullet...who eventually left her side and trotted quite curiously toward Dillon, her nose scrunching at the strong scent but not letting that deter her. Her pups didn't exactly run into many humans; Mitsuki was...a protective mother.

She looked him over and couldn't recognize him. Then again, it's not as if Mitsuki knew everyone in the school despite being considered the longest reigning captain of 259.

"Did you go here?" she asked, settling against the wall opposite of him, keeping a careful watch on Bullet while Drop nestled on her lap.

[Dillon Kyne]

Even though he had offered the new arrival a drink, she turned him down with a simple shake of her head. He would have felt slightly scorned had she not removed her gas mask and hood immediately after saying no to a drink, revealing yet another Asian beauty hidden behind her mask. "Suit yourself, gorgeous." He'd say with a bit of a shrug, taking another swig from the bottle before lowering it down to his side. Whether she didn't trust, or simply wasn't much of a drinker, it didn't matter to him. He was beginning to realize that people in the States weren't as into the bottle or pipe as his Irish family and companions. Not that it was a bad thing, but he missed the competition and bonding that came with it.

The way she spoke about high school, and the time she took to gaze at the crumbling building around her, gave Dillon the impression that she had actually gone to 259. It wasn't a certainty, but more of a sneaking superstition. If he was right, then maybe he could get a bit of insight into what it was truly like to attend a corporal punishment school. He was curious, if not intrigued, about the Pillar system, the violent teachers, and the many high school gangs that usually spawned from such schools. Had this young woman been a part of such events? Only time, and warming up to him, would truly tell. For now, he only had speculation.

He watched, with a few faint chuckles escaping his lungs, as she carefully maneuvered toward him, making sure not to step on the puppy that was trotting in-between her legs. The scene was so adorable that he didn't even realize that the other pup had made its way over to him, now sniffing at his hand that held the rum. It startled him, if only slightly, as a shiver went down his spine causing him to shake a bit. Looking down at the little tike, he'd reach over and place his free hand on the pups head, scratching ever so lightly on his head and the back of its ears.

Looking back up at the girl as he continued to pet the pup, he noticed that she was visibly sizing him up. Most people did this, trying to tell if they knew someone or if they were a threat, and he was sure she was no different. He may not have been an immediate threat, but the possibility was always there. There was much more to him than licked up breath and an attractive exterior, but she didn't need to know that. As far as she was concerned, he was just that. The fact that she was sitting directly across from him meant she trusted him to an extent, and she wasn't calling her dog back yet, so that was a good sign.

She quickly asked him if he had gone to the school, which made him think of a number of responses. Switching the bottle to his left hand, he'd pet the pup with his right and drink some more rum more comfortably. Drugs were all fine and dandy, but the feeling that alcohol gave him was so nostalgic. "Nope. I went to a private school on the east coast." He'd let out a laugh at the fact that he turned down the opportunity to lie to someone. Maybe he was turning over a new leaf?... Naw. "Had a fairly normal school life, unlike what I've heard about this place. Ya got any stories to back up the rumors?"

Raising his eyebrow, he'd start to wonder if he was forgetting something, rolling his eyes at himself as he wrapped the back of his head of the wall behind him lightly. "Oh, and my name's Dillon. Blame the booze on my lack of manners." He knew he was getting to a good level of intoxication because he was starting to find most things funny. Not that he didn't usually laugh a lot, but most of the time it was an act. He was pretty genuine now.

[Mitsuki Park]

Bullet's head bobbed from side to side, clearly enjoying the stranger's attention. It made her a little uncomfortable because that curiosity of hers would mean she would eventually venture out on her own, most likely without her papa, Skye, and other siblings. It was at this point when she decided to train the pups sooner than she intended; the perks of having a wolfpack was exactly that: hopefully, they would travel together- especially when Mitsuki and Skye weren't around for added protection.

Though... Mitsuki was naturally a stoic woman; her exterior mostly consisted of a cold front that made it difficult for others to grasp a read on her, even those who she considered to be close friends. Granted, for the sake of having social etiquette, she would smile here and there, but it rarely ever went beyond being polite, especially with strangers. Mitsuki was naturally a more introverted person and kept to herself; large events that required interaction with multiple people were tiresome (though not impossible to handle). She much preferred one-on-ones.

"East coast? Long way from home," she commented, though it wasn't a surprise. PHS #552 was also from the east and a large number of them traveled over to #259; some pre-Barker to see what all the hype was about, some post-Barker to join one of the larger factions in the fight against him.

"Stories...?" she thought for a brief moment before giving a light shrug, "There was never a quiet day." She remembered even going into the library, a boy caused a ruckus because of an unpaid loan.

"Do you know about the pillar system?" It was interesting, running into a guy that wasn't from a school with corporate punishment.

She brushed her hair back and absentmindedly pet Drop, legs crossing in pretzel formation as she engaged in conversation with this stranger.

Oh! And...

"Mmm, sorry, I don't have an excuse- I'm Mitsuki."

[Dillon Kyne]

When she said that he was a long way from home, she had no idea. Yes, he had gone to school in New York, but his real home was in Ireland. He missed the scenery, the people, and most of all the booze. Sure, he could get his drink on just as easily here in the States, but the quality was just not up to the bar that the Irish pubs set. Even the rum he had his hand was nothing if not a disappointment, but it was all he had on him at the moment so he'd make do with it.

He had hoped that she would give him some sort of juicy stories to give him a better understanding of what it was like to grow up in such a school, but unfortunately for him she was a tough nut to crack. The fact that there was never a quiet day was pretty much a given, so he'd  frown a bit when that was all she gave him to chew on. He wasn't sure if the bombings had made her so stoic and reserved, or if she had always been like that, but it made keeping a conversation all the more difficult for him. At least he had the cute little pup to keep him company while he attempted to get her to open up a bit.

The question about whether he'd heard about the pillar system peaked him interest a bit, however, and so he hoped that maybe that would segway into a more interesting story or something. He'd lift the ball of fur up and place it on his lap, continuing to pet it as he looked back over at the girl, that had now introduced herself as Mitsuki. "Nice to meet you, Mitsuki." Was it really? Maybe not, but he rarely ever cared about most of the people he met in life. Each person was interesting in there own right, but that didn't mean he wanted to build a relationship with them all. He was usually civil, kind even, but that didn't change the fact that he was an uninterested sociopath.

"And yeah, I've heard of the pillar system, but only through the news and stories I heard throughout the years." Taking another quick swig from his rum, he'd chuckle as he shuttered once again at the terrible taste of the booze. "From what I could gather, it seemed like an unproductive system, since it would only promote more violence among student that wanted the titles." If it was supposed to promote peace and all that between the student populace, he figured that it never would, but then again the corporal punishment system wasn't any better. Violence only promoted more violence. Not that this was a bad thing in Dillon's mind, but for the more socially normal people it was. Another big gulp of rum down his throat, he'd nod to himself. "Can't say I wouldn't have loved to try my hand at those titles if I had the chance, though."